Magic
by theshadowcat
Summary: A strange woman crashes onto the BPRD grounds. Literally. The first in the 'Magic' series. Please R&R. Complete!
1. The Earthquake

I've had this story bopping around in my head for a while now. It is a Hellboy & co. story, so please be patient. They will make an appearance later on.

**Disclaimer: **Hellboy & co. are owned by Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics. I in no way claim them for my own.

I wake with a start. An earthquake? In New Jersey? I know it's not unheard of, but still, they're pretty rare. I lift my head out of my pillow and look at the clock. 5:03 am. Crud. I don't have to get up for another hour, but I know I'm not going to get back to sleep either. With a groan, I roll over, push back the covers and sit up with my legs hanging over the side of the bed. Turning on the lamp on the night stand, I look down and see Wizard come out from under the bed. He looks at me with large accusing eyes.

"Hey, don't blame me," I tell him. "I didn't do it."

He just gives me this "Yeah right" look, then jumps onto the bed and claims the warm spot I left. I scratch his ears for a couple of minutes before getting the courage up to put my feet on the floor. I can feel the cold marble right through the Persian rug. I quickly put on my fleece lined slippers and bathrobe before heading downstairs, turning off the light before I go.

Yawning, I finally reach the kitchen and turn on the coffee maker. I head for the bathroom while it does its thing. Jeez, but it's cold this morning. I wonder for the millionth time what was I thinking when I had them put in marble flooring everywhere. And I answer my self for the millionth time that I'd have trouble living in a house made of wood. Even though it's the middle of June, I'm tempted to turn on the heater, but I change my mind as I turn on the light in the bathroom.

I blink several times as my eyes adjust to sudden light. I turn on the hot water tap and then look at myself in the mirror. Hazel eyes in a tanned face look back at me. I take my hair out of the loose braid it's in and brush out my hair. After I'm done brushing it, I turn to get a better look at it in the mirror. The gentle waves of auburn hair are almost to my waist. It's probably time to visit my hair dresser again. I quickly pull my hair back into a French braid with a little "help," and then wash my face. After that's done, I get my cup of coffee then head back upstairs to get dressed.

I go into my bedroom and turn on the overhead light. Wizard looks up, startled. Then he glares at me with those baleful yellow eyes. I ignore him, and he puts his head down and flips his fluffy brown tail over his face. I go into the walk in closet to get into my work clothes. But as I'm reaching for my jeans, I stop. A little voice in the back of my head is telling me to put on my riding clothes. Every time I've ignored that little voice, I've always regretted it later. I put on my long white socks, riding breeches, and a white button down long sleeved shirt. I pull on a sweater on top of all that and put on my Nikes. Riding boots are a pain to walk around in, besides their down in the tack room anyways.

I go back to the kitchen and refill my cup and then head outside. Something is definitely wrong. Looking to the left, I can see the sun is just starting to creep over the horizon on the other side of the lake, but the birds aren't singing their morning songs. They're flitting about in an agitated manner. Several land on the porch railing and look at me. The birds around here have always been friendly toward me, but this is very strange. I shiver and take a sip of my coffee. Deer, raccoons and opossums are wandering around the yard, as if lost.

Heading down the front steps, I go toward my favorite tree in the front yard. It's an old oak tree. I sit at its base, carefully put my coffee down beside me and close my eyes. I send "myself" into the Earth, and search for the epicenter of the quake. About 20 miles north, I find it in the middle of a forest. There's a fissure and a great sense of wrongness to it. What's even stranger is that there are no fault lines any where near the epicenter. I quickly return to my body and open my eyes. The dryad that lives in the oak tree is sitting next to me. I look at her.

_I'm worried, _she says without words. _That earthquake was not natural._

"I know," I tell her. "I will go and check it out today. I will try and right it."

_Thank you,_ says the dryad. She stands and then disappears into her tree.

I pick up my coffee, and then stand myself. I quickly head inside while brushing myself off. I make sure all the lights and the coffee maker are off. I grab my keys and driver's license and head out. Locking the door behind me, I notice the sun is now all the way up. The birds and animals are starting to go back to their normal routines. I head down the hill toward the ranch. It's time to get to work.


	2. The Ride

I quickly trot down the gravel path to the ranch. I notice the lights are on at the ranch manager's cottage. I glance over at the parking area. The large 4x4 truck is still attached to the two horse trailer. Good. That will make getting out of here easier. I step into the smallest barn and turn on the overhead light. I'm greeted by a startled snort from Magick. I hurry over to the large, black Andalusian stallion and pat him on the neck.

"Ready to go for a ride, boy?" I ask him. His ears prick forward and he starts doing a little prancing in place. I laugh, give him another pat and then head for the food locker. I feed him his breakfast, and then grab his tack and my boots, riding gloves and helmet. After putting them in the back of the truck, I get the grooming box and give Magick a quick once over. As I'm cleaning out his hooves, I hear a footstep outside the barn door. I "feel" who it is. I hear the door open.

"Good morning, Helen," I say without looking up from what I'm doing. "How are you this morning?"

"Good morning, Miss Cavendish," answers Helen as she comes into the barn, but she doesn't get to close. She doesn't act the least bit surprised at my knowing that she's there. "I'm fine thank you. I guess the earthquake woke you up, too."

"Yes, it did," I reply. "How are the kids handling their first earthquake?"

"Allison handled it ok, but Jamy wouldn't stop crying until Doug promised to make his famous French toast for breakfast," she says. "I noticed Magick's tack in the back of the truck. Are you going somewhere?"

"I thought I'd check out some of the riding trails at that park about 20 miles north of here," I tell her. She's quiet for a moment.

"Oh, you mean that park just past that sanitation facility?" she asks.

"Yes, that's the one," I answer. "I should be back by this evening. Magick needs a really good work out. He's been getting a bit antsy lately."

"I had noticed him snapping a lot more than usual," she says.

"Well, this should make him a little bit easier to work with," I tell her.

"Not that any one but you can get near him," she replies. "You do remember we have that new group of kids coming today, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember," I answer as I put Magick's final hoof down. I straighten up and look at her. "You, Andrea and Carla will be able to handle them just fine. I trust you."

"Thank you," she says, smiling. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I've got everything covered here," I say. "But if I could sneak a couple of slices of Doug's wonderful French toast…?"

"Not a problem," she laughs as she turns to leave. "I'll be right out with them."

I put a halter with lead on Magick, and then lead him out of the barn. He's never really liked trailers, but after some encouragement from me, he goes in. I get in the cab of the truck and check that my cell phone has finished charging and that there's some money stashed away. As I stick both the phone and money in my breast pocket, Helen comes up and hands me a paper plate with the French toast on it.

"Thank you, Helen," I say. "You're an angel. Would you mind opening the gate for me, please?"

"Sure," she answers. She goes to do as I ask.

I get myself situated in the truck. Then I start it up and head out through the now open gate. I wave good bye to Helen, and turn right onto the road as I nibble on the wonderful toast.

About 45 minutes later I arrive at the park. The ranger is just opening up the gates. I pay the parking fee and get a map of the riding trails. I park in the trailer parking area. As I get Magick ready for our ride, I notice a pine dryad standing next to her tree looking at me. She looks like she wants to come to me, but she doesn't dare step onto the pavement.

_Something evil has come into the forest, _she says.

"I know," I tell her. "I will do what I can to send it away."

_Thank you, _she says as she disappears back into her tree.

As it's finally starting to warm up, I take my sweater off and toss it into the truck cab. I finish getting Magick and myself ready. Then I take a quick look at the map. Finally, I fold it up and slip it into my boot. I saddle up and head out onto the trail. I have a feeling where the fissure is, so I take the trails that lead me in that direction. I know I'm getting closer as I notice more and more creatures, magical and non-magical, acting strangely.

After about an hour of riding I turn Magick onto a faint deer track. There are no more animals to be seen now. About 15 minutes later I find the fissure. I can feel the evil as if it's a tangible thing. It looks like someone has taken a giant cleaver and sliced the land open in a hundred foot gash. I dismount. Holding onto the reins, I go over to the edge of the hole. Magick is dancing around and I can see the whites of his eyes. I send some calming energy to him as I look down into the chasm. It goes down so far that I can't see the bottom. As I start to gather the energy I'll need to close the fissure, I hear something moving. I whip around and "feel" for what's out there. There is something out there, but it's not of land or air, so I'm not exactly sure what it is. I can tell there are at least three of them, and they have the same feeling of evil that the fissure is giving off. Then I hear a growl.

I'm not sure how I get back up into the saddle, but we're off like a shot. I can sense safety to the south, so that's the way I aim Magick. I smooth out the ground in front of us to make sure Magick doesn't trip. I look over my shoulder and see three creatures. Each one is about the size of a bear, their matted fur is of indeterminate color, and their claws and fangs are huge. I can see their red eyes glowing despite the bright sunlight. But of none of those matters, what matters is that I can see that they're slowly catching up to us.

I gather up the energy and I reach out for a piece of land that's about a quarter of a mile away. I "pull" it toward us like it's a giant rubber band. As soon as Magick's hooves are securely on the stretched ground, I let the ground go back to where it belongs, taking us with it. That gives us a bit more breathing room, but those things are still chasing us. We continue to head south. When ever those things start getting to close, I "pull" another section of ground to us. I lose count of how many times I've done this.

Horses aren't meant to be ridden like this for any length of time, despite what people see in the movies. Magick is sweating profusely and I can feel his chest heaving between my legs. I'm also starting to tire. I've never pushed my powers this hard before. We need to find safety soon. Then, just as we burst through another bit of brush and enter a clearing, I see it. A ten foot high wrought iron fence topped with razor wire. I know safety is beyond that fence. There's no way through or over that fence, so we only have one choice. With a mighty "shove," I "push" the dirt out from under the fence. Even though the fence goes down more then a foot underground, I manage to make a hole big enough for the two of us to pass under the fence without stopping. As soon as we're through, I let go of the earth. It moves back in place just in time. The creatures hit the fence, but luckily, it holds. As they try to get past the fence, giving snarls and shrieks of frustration, I slow Magick to a walk.

The sweat is pouring from him and his mane is plastered to his neck. He finally stops and breathing is labored. His is head down and he's trembling from exhaustion. I try to get down, and manage to perform the worst dismount of all time. As I pull myself up off the ground, I realize I'm also shaking and just about every part of me is sore. I'm not sure if it's because of my fall or from riding so hard, probably both. With shaking hands, I take off my gloves and helmet and drop them. I try to undo the sweat soaked leather cinch to the saddle. I finally manage to get the cinch loosened and I let the saddle fall to the ground.

Then I notice another noise, above those of the creatures. I turn and notice a building on the other side of a parking lot which we're near the edge of. Its a few stories tall and pretty non-descript. What I find strange is that there's a large eternal flame burning in front of it. There are a lot of men in dark suits coming out of it. They're running and carrying guns and they're coming right at me. I don't particularly like the look of things, but right now I'm just too tired to care. I pick up the reins and force Magick to start walking.

"FREEZE!" the first one to reach me yells. He looks like he's maybe 25 years old, if that.

"No," I say as I continue walking.

"Excuse me?" says the man, looking a bit confused. He starts crab walking to keep me in his sights.

"If I don't get Magick properly cooled off, he'll founder," I tell him. "If that happens, I'll never be able to ride him again. And quite frankly, I'd rather that didn't happen. Besides, you have bigger things to worry about."

I point at the fence. The man looks to where I'm pointing and his face turns white. The creatures have made a sizable hole now. He starts yelling into his wrist something about getting red up here as he runs towards the fence. I just shake my head and keep walking. I notice I'm having trouble focusing and I keep stumbling. I'd like nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but I keep moving for Magick's sake. After a while, I hear more running and yelling, but I don't look up. I'm having trouble focusing on the ground. I really do hate walking in riding boots. Then I hear what seems to be the sound of a small cannon going off several times. I just keep walking.

I'm not sure how much time has gone past, but I notice that people are walking toward me now. I ignore them. Suddenly, one of them steps in my way. I run into him and it's almost like hitting a brick wall, only a brick wall is softer. I back up a step and realize I'm staring at his boots. I could quite possibly use one of those boots as a canoe, I think. I straighten up to my full height of 5'5" and look this man squarely in the chest. I then look up at his face. I notice his incredibly red skin and glowing yellow eyes, and then I pass out.


	3. Waking Up

**Author's note**: Thanks to everyone who has given me such great feed back. Yes, the Cavendish name is taken from the first Hellboy story. But, as you will soon see, it's not the same character.

I wake up to the sound of a door shutting. I open my eyes and look around. I'm lying in a bed, and there are various machines and cabinets around a windowless room. I'm in some sort of medical facility. I sit up and groan. Just about every part of me still hurts. I then realize there's an I.V. in my left arm. I must have really over extended myself to have them put that in. The bag looks to be pretty full. It's probably just been changed and the nurse leaving must have been what woke me. I look down and realize that all I'm wearing is a hospital gown, complete with the breezy opening in the back. My arms are covered in scratches, and I can feel them on my face and neck as well. I probably got them during the ride. My hair falls in my face and I realize someone has taken my hair out of its braid.

As I continue to examine the room, I notice a clock on the wall. 8:26 PM! Helen's going to have kittens! She always gets worried if I'm late. It must be the mother in her. I need a phone _now_.

I look around for my clothes, but I don't see them. I get out of bed and start going through the cabinets, dragging the I.V. stand with me. I do find some sterile gauze and medical tape. I use the pinch valve to stop the flow of fluids and then I carefully remove the needle in my arm, using the gauze and tape to seal up the hole it leaves behind. I go through some more cabinets and find another gown. I put that one on like a jacket. At least no one is going to get a free show. My feet are freezing on the tile floor, but I don't find anything that might pass for socks.

I go to the door and put my ear near the crack. I don't hear anything, and I can't "feel" anyone in the hallway. I quietly open the door, slip into the hallway and close the door behind me. The hall ends to my left, so I go right and go around a corner. I continue wandering the halls for some time. This place is huge, but I can't seem to find a phone anywhere and it's amazing that I haven't seen anyone else. I eventually end up going past a large metal door and a short time later I'm in hallway with strange glass cases in it. The things in these cases are giving off some strange vibes, and they're giving me a serious case of the willies. I quickly go down the hall and out the door on the other end.

I enter what looks to be someone's private library, which, blissfully, has carpeting instead of tiling. Low and behold, there's a phone on the desk. I step further into the room, and then I see the glass wall to my left. It's a window into a giant aquarium, and there seems to be something in there.

I take a few steps closer to the glass. I see something swimming in there and it's the most incredibly beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life.

"How beautiful," I whisper.

"Thank you."

I practically jump out of my skin. No one has been able to sneak up on me since I learned how to control my powers. I spin around so fast my hair flies around my head. I look about the room, but I don't see anyone.

"Who said that?" I ask as I try to get my rapidly beating heart out of my throat.

I hear something thump against the glass. I turn back around, and there is the exquisite creature looking at me. If at all possible, its blue and green mottled skin is more beautiful up close.

"I did," says the voice. This time I see its lips move and I realize the voice is coming through a speaker.

"Oh," is all I can manage to say as I stand there, stunned. After a few moments I manage to regain my composure. I stand a little straighter and say, "Hello, I'm…"

"Margaret Susan Cavendish. Heiress. You're named for both of your grandmothers. Birthday: April 8th, 1974. Parent's died when you were only nine, raised by your paternal grandmother."

"Yes, thank you," I interrupt, a bit perturbed. I realize that the being in the tank must be a male. At least that's what his voice sounds like. I also notice he's wearing only a pair of skin tight black shorts. "I am well aware of who I am. Would you be so kind as to tell me who you are, please?"

I see nictitating membranes cross over his eyes like he's blinking and his gills slightly flutter. I also notice someone coming into the room. I don't sense any thing bad about the new comer, so I ignore him for a moment.

"I'm Abe," the one in the tank finally answers. "Abraham Sapien."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Sapien," I say with a slight nod. I turn around to see who has entered. It's the same man I ran into earlier, before I passed out. I address him, "And you would be…?"

"Hellboy," he grunts, not looking very happy. I get a better look at him this time. His right hand is abnormally large for him and seems to be made of stone, he has two strange circles on his forehead, and he has a tail. He's also at least a foot taller than I am.

"How do you do, Mr. Hellboy," I say. Given the strange circumstance, I think Grandmother would be proud. Not only have I pretty much retained my composure, but I've done it while freezing my tush off. She always said that it didn't matter if the world was falling down around your shoulders, you should always maintain your composure.

"It's just Hellboy," the large man practically growls. "What are you doing in here?"

"She's looking for a phone," says Abe.

I turn and look at him again. I can feel my brows coming together slightly.

"How did you know that?" I ask him.

"Abe's telepathic," Hellboy grunts. "What do you need a phone for?"

"I need to call my ranch manager and let her know I'm all right," I answer, turning back yet again, feeling a bit like a yo-yo. I'm not very comfortable with Abe's abilities. There are some things that no one outside the family should know.

"Dial 9 and wait for a dial tone," says Abe. "Then you can phone out."

I turn back once again, thank him, and then I head for the phone. Hellboy just scowls at Abe. He then sticks a cigar in his mouth.

"Please don't smoke that around me," I say as I pick up the receiver. "I find the smell most unpleasant."

He just glares at me and lights a match. I dial nine as I take the oxygen away from the match. It goes out. I get a dial tone and start dialing. He lights another match, and that one goes out too. I hear the phone ring on the other end. Another match is lit and it goes the way of the others. Doug answers in the middle of the second ring. Another match is doused.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Doug. It's Miss Cavendish. May I speak to Helen, please?"

Another match goes out.

"Miss Cavendish! Thank goodness. Helen's been worried sick about you. Are you all right? Where are you? When are you coming home?"

And another goes out.

"I'm fine, Doug. Thank you for asking. As for where I am, I can't say right now. I'm not sure when I'll be back either. May I speak to Helen, please?"

And another.

"She's out waiting at the gate. She's waiting for you."

"Oh dear. Tell her I'm sorry for causing her such worry, and that she should lock the gate. I'm not sure when I'll be home, but I'll call if can make it back this evening."

And another.

"I'll do that."

"Thank you, Doug. Good bye."

"You're welcome, Miss Cavendish. Good bye."

I hang up the phone as Hellboy lights the last match in the box. It goes out like all the others. At this point he's absolutely fuming. I turn around and look over at Abe. He's curled up in a ball and rolling around in the water. He's laughing so hard that we can't hear anything. Hellboy looks like he wants to hit something.

"Now, gentlemen, if one or both you could please answer my questions, I would be most grateful," I say. Hellboy looks at me. He's still scowling, but at least he doesn't look like he's about to haul off and hit something. Abe uncurls himself and comes to the glass. He has what appears to be a smile on his lips. He's trying, rather unsuccessfully, to keep from snickering. "Could you please tell me where my horse is? And what has happened with my clothes?"


	4. The Proof

The clock on the boardroom wall says 9:52 pm. It's hard to believe that a little over an hour ago I was standing in a library talking to a merman and a demon wearing nothing more than a couple of hospital gowns. I've finally got something to eat. It has been more than twelve hours since the French toast I had for breakfast. I'm also now showered and dressed in something a little bit warmer. The overalls they gave me are a few sizes to big, but it's better than the gowns.

It seems that when they brought me into the medical wing of this place, they did what hospitals normally do with an unconscious patient. They cut off the clothes that cannot be easily slipped off. I'm still barefoot, but the thought of putting on my dirty socks from earlier was a bit more than I could stomach. And walking around in riding boots without socks on is just asking for blisters.

I also know that Magick is all right. It seems the man who tried to get me to stop earlier actually knows a little something about horses. He said his name was John Myers. Nice enough guy, even if he does seem a bit naïve about some things. I take another bite of my salad as Myers comes into the room.

"Miss Cavendish, Dr. Manning will be in a minute," he says. "Is there anything else you need?"

I finish chewing and swallowing what's in my mouth before answering him.

"I'm fine, thank you, Mr. Myers," I answer, pushing my hair back over my shoulder again.

"You can call me John," he says, smiling shyly.

"I'm sorry, I don't tend to call people by their first name unless they're an employee, a relative, or I know them very well."

"Oh," he says, looking a bit crest fallen.

"But since you took such good care of Magick," I continue, smiling, "I'll make an exception for you."

"Thanks," he says looking much happier. He turns and leaves me to finish my salad.

As I take the last bite, an older, balding gentleman wearing a rather expensive suit comes in. He's carrying a coffee mug in one hand and manila folder and video tape in the other. Ignoring me, he sits at the other end of the table and starts going through the file, occasionally taking a sip of coffee.

Abe comes in a moment later wearing a very strange outfit. He walks past me and takes a seat a few chairs away from me. He smiles at me and says hello. I return his greeting. At the sight of him, my stomach starts doing flip flops. I try desperately to maintain my composure, at least on the outside. I can feel my heart starting to race, I suddenly start having trouble breathing and my stomach now seems to be doing the Tango. Fortunately, before all my internal organs can start doing the Limbo, Hellboy walks in, distracting me from this incredible male near me.

He's smoking a cigar. He takes a long drag off of it, and then lets out a huge cloud of odorous smoke. As he attempts to take another drag off of the foul thing, he discovers that it's no longer lit. He takes it out of his mouth and stares at the end that is supposed to be lit. I can hear Abe trying to contain a chuckle.

"You find something funny?" Hellboy growls at Abe, taking a seat across from the merman.

"Why?" asks Abe tilting his head to the side looking totally innocent. "Should I?"

"If you two are through," the man at the other end of the table interrupts. He flips to the first page of the papers in the folder and starts reading. "Margaret Susan Cavendish, born April 8th, 1974 in San Francisco, California…"

"I'm sorry," I interrupt, "But I'm afraid we haven't been introduced. I am Margaret Cavendish. And you are…?"

The man looks up, startled that someone would dare to interrupt him. He looks at me briefly, clears his throat and shuffles some of his papers. He seems flustered. I can see Hellboy out of the corner of my eye. He's looking at me and appears to be smiling. Will wonders never cease? I was beginning to think he could only scowl.

"I'm Tom Manning," the man says briskly. "**Dr. **Tom Manning."

"How do you do, Dr. Manning," I reply. "Please continue."

"Right," he says. "Let's see…California. Lived in Mill Valley, California until age nine with parents until their deaths. Went to private school during this time. Had a private tutor as well. After parents deaths, went to live with paternal grandmother, Susan Cavendish in Atlanta, Georgia. Was home schooled until age 16 at which point received a high school diploma equivalent. Went to Harvard. Studied a double major in business and biology. Graduated at age 21 with master degrees in both. A year later, purchased a large expanse of land in New Jersey. Set up a ranch called "The Last Chance Ranch" taking in abused and neglected animals, including, but not limited to dogs, cats and horses. The ranch is also used as a place for minors who must serve a community service to perform said same. Current net worth approximately 89 million dollars."

"Very nice," I say, unimpressed. I stare at him with a blank look on my face. "My entire life summed up in less then 200 words. Was there a reason for this litany, Dr. Manning? Or are you trying to make some sort of point?"

"My point, Miss Cavendish," he says, finally looking me in the eye, "is that for someone who seems to have a fairly mundane life you also seem to also have some extraordinary abilities."

"Everyone can be extraordinary, if he or she puts his or her mind to it," I reply. "Just because I've inherited a fortune doesn't mean I'm any more extraordinary than the next person."

Manning gets up and walks over to a TV set in the corner of the room. He puts the video tape into the VCR on top of the TV and turns the TV on. A grainy black and white picture taken through a wrought iron fence appears on the screen. It appears to be a surveillance tape. Shortly after I register that, I watch in fascinated horror, my escape from those creatures caught completely on video tape. Oops. Fortunately for my ego, the tape ends before my horrible dismount from Magick.

"Please tell me again, Miss Cavendish," says Manning as he turns off the TV and then turns and looks at me, "how unextrodenary you are."


	5. Coming Clean

I sit and stare at the table top for a long time. It feels like I've eaten a bag of rocks instead of a salad. Question after question run around in my head. Who are they? Why are a merman and a demon living here? Should I trust these people? Where exactly am I? What are my options? Why should I trust them? What is this place? What will happen if I do tell them? Do I trust them?

It keeps coming back to trust. I close my eyes, relax in my chair and send "myself" out. If there's wrong here, I will find it. I find out a good many things, but I find nothing wrong. I open my eyes. All three men are watching me. Manning has returned to his seat, the video tape is lying on the table in front of him.

Sighing, I finally make my decision. I stand, go over to the door and quietly shut it. If my grandmother knew what I was about to do, she'd have several litters worth of puppies. I turn and look at Manning.

"Are there any listening devices in this room?" I ask him.

"Listening devices?" he answers. I can tell he's stalling.

"Bugs, hidden microphones," I elaborate. I'm in no mood for games.

"No," he says. He's lying. His heart rate goes up and his eyes dilate. Never taking my eyes off of Manning, I "feel" around the room and find one microphone. It's very cleverly hidden. Abe suddenly pushes his chair back. With a loud crack, the table splits into two equal halves.

"What the HELL!?" yells Hellboy as he shoots out of his seat. Manning is also out of his seat with a very shocked look on his face.

The two halves are held together by the wires of the microphone imbedded in the wood. I go over to the broken section and, with some difficulty, pull the two halves a little farther apart. I finally have enough space to reach in and grab the wires. With an almighty yank, I rip the microphone from its hiding spot inside the table. I let the two sections of table crash to the floor. The coffee cup, salad plate, video and file smash together in the center of the table creating a huge mess. I walk around the remains toward Manning.

"Rule number one: What I'm about to reveal does not leave this room. Ever!" I say. Staring at him, I hand Manning the remnants of the microphone. "Rule number two: Never lie to me."

I step back, turn and look at the other two. Abe is still sitting; his dark eyes seem a bit larger than before. Hellboy has stuck the cigar butt back into his mouth and he seems to be searching for something in the pockets of his duster. I can see Manning pull a small box out of his coat pocket. I look over and see it's a box of matches.

"Here," he says to Hellboy as he tosses the box across the room. Hellboy neatly catches it.

"Rule number three: Don't smoke around me. I detest the smell," I continue. As I'm talking, Hellboy lights a match. It goes out before he can bring it to the cigar.

"Not again," he growls. He starts reaching for another match.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," I tell him. He glares at me. "I won't allow you to light that vile thing in my presence."

"How are you going to stop me?" he growls.

"Actually, Red," Abe says, smiling, "she's being doing a very good job of it so far." He stretches his long frame out and gets into a rather comfortable looking position resting his feet on what's left of the table. I try and ignore the way light plays across his mottled skin.

Hellboy looks at Abe and then at me. Comprehension finally dawns across his face.

"You're a pyrokinetic," Hellboy states.

"Hardly," I tell him.

"Then how did you put the match out if you can't control fire?" He's confused again.

"You do realize that the air we breathe is mostly comprised of nitrogen and very little oxygen?" I ask him as I start walking toward him. He nods. "You also realize that fire requires oxygen to burn?" He nods again. I stop in front of him and put my hand out. "May I have the box, please?" He puts the box in my hand and I take a match out. "Since a fire cannot burn without oxygen, the removal of oxygen from a certain area will cause any fire to extinguish. Do you follow me?"

"I think so. But how do you remove the oxygen?" He says.

"I simply 'push' the oxygen molecules out of the way and replace them with nitrogen molecules," I explain. "Of course this can only be done on a limited scale otherwise an imbalance is created."

I strike the match on the side of the box and light it. I let it burn about half way down. Without moving a muscle or taking my eyes off of him, I extinguish it. Hellboy stares at the now half burnt match, and then he takes it from me.

"How?" he asks.

"The only people outside of my family who know what I'm about to tell you are the Teachers who trained me. I cannot stress enough how important it is that this information never leave this room," I start to explain. My stomach is now in a hard ball, and the muscles in my neck are one big knot. I take a deep breath and let it out, letting as much of the tension go with it as I can. "I'm a mage. All mages can control an element, Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. We're very rare, and the ability usually only runs in certain families."

"So you used your ability to control air to move the dirt under the fence?" asks Hellboy.

"Actually, no," I answer. "I'm very unusual for a mage in that I can control both Air and Earth."

"So how did you get so lucky as to get two elements?" asks Hellboy.

"My father was an Air mage and my mother was an Earth mage," I tell him.

"You have to understand, Miss Cavendish," Manning interrupts, "how very hard it is for me to believe all this. People who can control the elements? That's a pretty far stretch. After all, we've never heard of mages before, and it's our job to know."

Abe quickly moves his feet off of the table as, with two loud cracks, the table breaks again. It's now lying in quarters. Even more coffee and salad dressing seep onto the floor. Manning stands there, staring at the trice broken table.

"Believe," I tell him.


	6. Welcome to the BPRD

Manning finally looks at me, and, with considerable effort, regains his composure.

"Well, Miss Cavendish," he says. "That was a very…_interesting_ display." He walks over to me and sticks his hand out. I take the offered hand with trepidation. "Welcome to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. I'll have a room prepared for you immediately. I should have your contract ready by morning. Of course, I'll have to reconstruct your file, but that shouldn't be too hard to do." He starts heading for the door.

"Excuse me," I say, "but I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. What contract?"

"Oh, it's just the standard contract all our human employees sign," he answers, turning around to face me.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"Don't worry," he says. "There are many great benefits to working for the BPRD. I'm sure you'll be a great asset to the department."

He reaches the door and tries to open it only to discover that the knob won't move. He starts trying to force the knob to move.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Manning," I tell him, struggling to maintain my composure. "I'm not sure where you got the idea that I would be working for you, but I'm sorry you were misled. Let me remind you that what I have told you this evening is in the strictest confidence, there will be no reconstruction of any files, and I want all copies of the surveillance tape destroyed."

"But this is where you belong, Miss Cavendish," he tells me, stepping away from the door. He waves a hand in the general direction of Abe and Hellboy. "Among people such as yourself."

"Such as myself?" I ask in a deceptively quiet voice. "This may surprise you, Dr. Manning, but I have no intention on staying here. Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I still have a lot of work to do."

I go past Manning and head for the door only to find my way blocked by Abe. I suddenly realize that he's the only person on Earth who possibly could sneak up on me. Having him this close to me is a bit disconcerting. My stomach starts pretending it's a maraca.

"Tell us about those creatures," he says. "Where did they come from?"

"Hey, that's right," says Hellboy. "I forgot about them. What were those things? And why were they chasing you?"

"The 'why' and 'where' I can tell you," I answer, "but not the 'what.' I assume you all felt the earthquake this morning?" They all nod. "Well, it wasn't a natural earthquake. The epicenter is no where near any fault lines. I went looking for it this morning and I found it about 5 miles north of here. Those creatures you saw were there. I believe the reason they were after me was because I was about to try and close the fissure that was opened by the earthquake. I'm not sure why it was opened, but I can tell you this: Whatever is in there is pure evil."

An involuntary shiver runs up my spine as I remember the evil I felt there. I hug myself, trying to will the goose bumps away. Abe's hand on my shoulder causes me to slightly jump. I'm not sure if it's because he startled me or because his hand is on me, but my heart starts beating a lot faster.

"Let us help," Abe says.

"I don't know if you can," I explain. "I have to shut the fissure."

"Hey," says Hellboy with a smile on his face. "Beating the crap out of monsters is what we do. Besides, I only managed to kill one of those things. The others ran off and no one's been able to find them."

Before I can say anything, there's a knock at the door and a moment later John comes in rubbing his upper arm.

"Hey," he says. "I was just checking to see if you guys needed anything."

"Actually, yes I do," I tell him. "Among the personal effects that were returned to me earlier was a folded piece of paper. Would you please bring it to me, John?"

"Sure," he happily replies. Then he spots the table. "What happened to the table?"

"Termites," I answer without batting an eye.

"Oh," he says, and then he turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"Your horse bit him," comments Abe. "That's why he was rubbing his arm."

"Magick must not be feeling up to par yet," I reply. "Usually, he bites people on the rump."

"Does your horse always bite people?" asks Hellboy.

"Yes, actually," I answer, retaking my seat. "He was mishandled as a colt. If I hadn't intervened, he would have been destroyed. Anadalusians are very gentle horses by nature. Unfortunately, Magick had most of his gentleness beaten out of him. I have yet to find anyone else who can get close to him. It's a shame really; he's a very sweet animal."

Before anyone can respond to this, John returns with the map I requested. I point out the approximate location of the fissure. The next hour is spent getting the agents ready for the mission. They are only told that I will guide them to the creatures' lair, not the real reason I'm going. Since there's nothing much for me to do, I spend the time visiting with Magick. I just hope it's not the last time I'll see him.


	7. Back to the Fissure

I stand with my arms wrapped around Magicks' neck, leaning on him. I absently brush some of the caked on salt off of his coat. He'll need a bath. He's nuzzling my hair. I've never worn it loose around him before, so this is something new for him. We're standing near where we came in. Someone had the good sense to create a small paddock using police barricades. There are a couple of buckets in the corner. The empty one had what appears to be oatmeal in it. The other one is filled with water. John probably got his "love" nip when he came to refill it. The nearly full moon is almost at zenith and it bathes us in a soft glow.

An agent walks up. He stops several feet shy of the fence. Magick's reputation must be all over the bureau by now.

"Miss Cavendish? It's time to go," he says.

"Thank you," I reply. Reluctantly, I let go of my gentle giant and leave the paddock. We start across the parking lot and I see a garbage truck surrounded by several black sedans. Then I see Abe and Hellboy get into the back of the truck.

"They ride in a garbage truck?" I ask the agent.

"Yes, ma'am," he answers. "It's the only way we can transport them."

"Surely there are vehicles big enough for them to fit into without stuffing them into the back of a garbage truck," I protest.

"Yes, ma'am, there are" he says "but it's better this way. This way they aren't seen. Besides, the truck's never been used to haul garbage. And there's a small lab in there, in case we need to analyze something."

By now we've reached the truck. John is behind the wheel and he's wearing a set of overalls similar to mine, except that his fit him properly. The agent opens the passenger side door to the cab.

"You'll be riding with Agent Myers, ma'am," the agent says.

"Thank you," I say as I climb into the cab. The cab is so large that I feel like a little girl again playing dress up in my father's clothes. I roll one of the sleeves up again. It must have unrolled itself when I was with Magick.

"Ready?" asks John. I just nod and he turns the engine over. It's so loud that normal conversation is impossible. That's fine with me; I'm not in the mood to talk anyways. The clock on the dashboard says 11:43 pm.

We follow the sedans out the gate and onto the main road. About 10 minutes later we're at the main gate to the park. A park ranger is waiting there for us. Dr. Manning gets out of the lead car and talks to the ranger. A short time later, the ranger opens the gate to let us in. We park not far from my truck and trailer. I'm glad they didn't tow it.

Before John can even turn off the engine, I'm out of the cab and across the parking lot. I climb into the truck bed and open one of the locked storage bins. Luckily, I keep a spare set of clothes in here. I change in the trailer. A short time later, I'm dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I retrieve my sweater and tennis shoes out of the cab and quickly put them on. By the time I rejoin the others; they're ready to go and are waiting for me. I hand Dr. Manning the neatly folded overalls I was wearing.

"Thank you," I say to him. "You can send me the cleaning bill for these."

"I will," he says. He hands off the overalls to another agent, who puts them in one of the cars. Then he hands me a flashlight. The moon is at zenith, and we really don't need it, but I take it anyways. It's a big heavy thing. I can always use it as a weapon if I have to. I just hope I don't have to.

I lead the way onto the trails. Abe and Hellboy are right behind me with the rest of the agents following them. Manning stays behind with the cars just in case he needs to call in back up. Everyone has a gun out but me. That's fine by me. Guns make me jumpy. I notice that Hellboys' gun looks like a small cannon. It must have been what I heard going off when I was walking Magick.

Again, it takes about an hour to reach the deer trail I took earlier. I can feel the evil already. It's spreading. A shiver runs up my spine, but I step onto the smaller trail and lead them toward the fissure. I'm glad I have the flashlight now, since the trees make it hard to see the trail. Before we can reach the clearing, the first creature attacks. Abe and I both yell out a warning.

I manage to duck out of the way just as Hellboy and the other agents open fire. That cannon is a lot louder up close. I cover my ears and take cover behind a tree.

After what seems to be an eternity, the gun fire stops. I lower my hands and open my eyes. Abe is looking at me and holding out his hand. I take his hand and he helps me up. I can feel myself shaking and I know it's not because of him. I come back onto the trail. The creature is dead. One of the agents is slightly injured but he seems like he'll be ok. The smell of gun powder and fresh blood make my stomach turn. I put my hand over my mouth to try to keep from losing it. Abe gently squeezes my hand, and I suddenly realize that I haven't let go of his hand. I open my hand and Abe lets go, reluctantly it seems.

Hellboy takes the lead and we continue on with me between him and Abe. The feeling of evil is getting stronger with every step and it's making my head swim. It gets so bad that just before we reach the clearing, Abe calls out a warning that I never see coming.

Several creatures of various shapes and sizes attack. I run and hide again as guns open fire. I turn off my flashlight, and from my hiding spot I can see the fissure. There are creatures coming out of the forest and the hole. They're heading for the others. If the gap isn't closed soon, Hellboy, Abe and the others are going to be overwhelmed. Swallowing my fear, I creep through the trees until I reach the farthest end of the fissure. Keeping an eye out, I carefully crawl out of hiding toward it. Putting the flashlight down beside me and placing a hand on either side of the crack, I draw more power to me than I've ever done before. Then with a tremendous "heave" I slam the chasm closed again, causing an earthquake that knocks nearly everyone off their feet.

I look over at the battle and notice that Hellboy and Abe managed to stay on their feet. Some of the agents are trying to get up as the remaining creatures attack. Other agents are firing their guns from where they lay on the ground. A few of the agents are lying on the ground not moving. I know they're dead.

I pick up the flashlight and then stand up to head back to the trees. A creature that looks like a cross between a baboon and a cat spots me. Letting out an unearthly shriek, it charges me. I stand there stunned, and then, at the very last second, I swing the flashlight. By some miracle I actually make contact with the things skull, crushing it. Several more creatures notice me. Breaking off their attack on the others, they head for me. In a state of near panic, I "pull" a large slab of bedrock toward me. It bursts out of the ground between me and them. Then I give it a "push" and it falls over onto the creatures, crushing them to death.

Hellboy and the others make short work of the few remaining creatures. I just stand there, shaking, unable to move. After the last creature is dispatched, Abe comes over to me, carefully walking around the slab of bedrock on the ground and the dark liquid that is now oozing out from under it. He comes and stands beside me and looks at the carnage.

"Well," he says, "so much for hiding your abilities."


	8. Letting go

**Authors note:** Ok, everyone, this is the last chapter. Thanks for all the great reviews. But fear not, Miss Cavendish will be back.

I start laughing. Then, as the adrenaline wears off and the enormity of what's just happen hits me, I start to cry. But it's not just any cry. It's the cry of a heart in pain. A heart so lonely, it has forgotten how to love another heart.

I collapse, but before I can hit the ground, Abe catches me. He picks me up and carries me toward the others. I can hear Abe talking to the others and I hear them respond, but I can't understand what they're saying through my pain. I haven't cried like this since my parents' funeral all those long years ago. That was when I locked my heart in a box so it could never be hurt again. And now it wants out, but I'm too afraid to let it. I cry in fear, and my heart cries in pain.

After a while, I hear a mans' voice.

"Margaret? Margaret it's time to wake up."

_Daddy?_

"Come on, Maggie. It's time to wake up."

_Is that you, Daddy?_

"Magpie, please wake up."

"Daddy?" I open my eyes and see Abe looking down at me. I'm lying on bench in what looks to be a small laboratory. I can smell coffee. Abe smiles and helps me to sit up. I finally notice the open door. I'm in the garbage truck. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About an hour," Abe answers. He sits down next to me. "You fell asleep shortly after we got back onto the main path."

"You carried me all the way back?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I feel wiped out, physically and emotionally. That coffee smells so good. Without saying a word, Abe gets up, pours a cup and hands it to me. I smile my thanks as he sits back down next to me. As I sip my coffee, I look around. I notice some lab equipment on a table with the coffee maker, and what appears to be an ammo locker. I finally look behind me and notice a chicken in a cage.

"Ok, I've got to ask," I start. "What's with the chicken?"

Before Abe can answer, Hellboy shows up at the open door.

"Hey, you're awake," he says. "Good. Now Manning can pester someone else."

Before I can say anything, he disappears only to be replaced a moment latter by Manning.

"Well, Miss Cavendish," Manning says in a rather snooty tone. "It seems you put on quite the show for the men. Would you mind explaining yourself?"

I finish my coffee and stand up. I head for the exit and put my empty cup down next to the coffee maker.

"No, Dr. Manning, I wouldn't," I tell him. "All I want right now is to go get my horse and go home to bed."

I walk down the ramp and head for my truck. I get in the cab and wait for the others to leave. A few minutes later, the garbage truck starts up and starts heading for the exit. I follow it all the way back to the BPRD. I park the truck in front of Magicks' paddock. I check on him real quick, and then I head inside to get the rest of my stuff. While I'm inside, I say goodbye to Hellboy and John. Abe's no where around. He probably went straight for his tank. I can't say as I blame him, but I am a bit disappointed that I don't get to say goodbye.

I get back to the truck and dump the tack, boots, helmet, gloves and even my dirty socks into the bed. I grab the halter and head to the paddock. I stop dead in my tracks when I come around the trailer. Abe is in the paddock with Magick. He's not only in there; he's even petting the horse. I just stand there dumb founded for several moments and watch them. Magick keeps trying to see if Abe's respirator is edible, and Abe keeps gently pushing his head away.

"I thought you just wanted to get your horse and go home to bed," Abe says laughing.

I just walk into the paddock. I can't stop staring at them. Abe gently takes the halter out of my hands and puts it on Magick. He then leads Magick up to the trailer and puts him in without as much as a tail swish from Magick. Even I can't manage that one. Abe comes out of the trailer and then shuts the tailgate. He turns and looks at me.

"But…how?" I barely manage to get out.

"He likes me," Abe responds, shrugging. He walks up to me until we're toe to toe. The moon is half way between its zenith and the horizon, and I can see every detail of his beautiful skin by it. "Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"I thought you went back to your tank," I start explaining, but before I can finish, he cups my face in his hands. Then he kisses me.

And for the first time in over two decades, I let my heart go.


End file.
